Patrick Beverley disclosed that he feels Los Angeles Lakers fans were sincerely hoping that he’d fail after he signed with the Chicago Bulls in February.
Beverley made the comment on his podcast.
“What about the Laker fans killing me after we lost?” Beverley asked.
When his co-host, Adam Ferrone, seemingly expressed some surprise at that revelation, Beverley offered more information.
“Oh, everyone has,” Beverley said. “It’s like the shining moment. … ‘Oh yeah, he lost.’ … Yeah, it’s good when you got the downfall praying on you a little bit. That makes it a little better.”
Beverley was acquired by the Lakers during the offseason and seen as an intense veteran who could help the team get back into the playoffs and challenge for an NBA title.
That vision soon turned out to be a mirage, as Beverley struggled to fit into the Lakers lineup. That issue, other conflicts within the team and the Lakers losing with uncomfortable regularity undoubtedly sparked some backlash from fans.
In February, the Lakers traded Beverley to the Orlando Magic, who released him not long after that acquisition. Beverley then signed with the Bulls and helped get the team to the play-in portion of the season last week.
After upsetting the Toronto Raptors last Wednesday, the Bulls saw their season come to an end with a road loss to the Miami Heat.
It was after Beverley was traded from the Lakers that he offered his comment that he hoped the Bulls would eliminate the Lakers from playoff contention. The teams played twice against each other late in the regular season, with the Bulls winning the first contest and the Lakers claiming the second clash.
Such comments are nothing new for Beverley, who routinely offers trash-talk directed at players. However, the remark clearly struck a nerve with some Lakers fans, who no doubt rejoiced when the Bulls were eliminated.
Making those fans even happier is the fact that the Lakers not only survived the play-in tournament, but then also upset the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday. That 128-112 victory gave the Lakers a 1-0 series lead over the Grizzlies, with their guard Ja Morant’s status still uncertain for Game 2.
Beverley’s personality can clearly handle any fan criticism, though he’s sure to receive even more if the Lakers happen to advance to the next round of the postseason.
